FAI Aerospace Solutions

For manufacturing and quality, aerospace is governed by AS9100 (and/or EN9100) under the auspices of the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG). AS9100 requires a great focus on establishing and complying with design requirements.

The AS9100 quality management system includes AS9102 and AS9103. The former is a standard describing the details for aerospace first article inspection requirements, while the latter defines the expectations for statistical process control.

DISCUS software helps you quickly complete your AS9102 forms by allowing you to assemble your engineering drawings, CAD models, specs and related documents. DISCUS then helps you identify characteristic accountability requirements and manage them at a detailed level. It’s compatible with many of the AS9102 tooling solutions used by prime contractors such as Boeing, Honeywell and GE.

In short, DISCUS allows you to set up, markup and export your information within your AS9102 forms, saving hours of time creating a first article inspection. The results provide objective evidence that a design or part is safe for mass production. 

Learn more about how DISCUS can save you time in preparing your AS9102 and First Article Inspection (FAI) documents.

What is a First Article Inspection Report?

First Article Inspection is a comprehensive verification process used in the aerospace industry to ensure that a newly produced component or assembly meets all the specified requirements. A First Article Inspection Report (FAIR) provides guidelines that include both standards, regulatory compliances and design characteristics outlined in the engineering drawings, specifications and purchase order. 

Here’s Why First Article Inspection is Important to The Aerospace Industry:

  • Quality Assurance: During manufacturing, parts with even the smallest defects can have catastrophic consequences. FAI ensures the first production run of a part meets all the necessary specifications and quality standards.
  • Regulatory Compliance: FAI requires compliance with standards set by organizations like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the European Safety Agency (EASA).
  • Risk Mitigation and Cost Savings: By thoroughly inspecting the first article, any potential manufacturing issues or discrepancies can be identified and corrected early in the production process, reducing the risk of costly rework or product recalls later on.
  • Documentation: FAI generates detailed documentation that serves as a reference for future production runs. This documentation includes measurements, test results and other relevant data, providing a comprehensive record of the part’s conformity to specifications.
  • Customer Confidence: FAI provides assurance to customers that the manufactured parts meet their requirements and specifications. This builds trust and confidence in the supplier’s ability to deliver high-quality products.

The First Article Inspection Report plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety, quality and compliance of aerospace and aviation components, ultimately contributing to the reliability and performance of aerospace systems.

When to Perform First Article Inspection:

FAI is typically implemented at the beginning of a production run before full-scale manufacturing commences. However, changes to the production process or the parts themselves — or requests from customers or regulatory bodies — may require additional FAI implementation. Here are a few examples of when to conduct FAI in the aerospace industry:

  • New Parts or Assemblies: FAI is performed when introducing a new part or assembly into production, including cases where the component has undergone significant revision.
  • Initial Production Run: FAI is conducted on the first batch of parts or assemblies produced according to a new design specification. This ensures any issues are identified and can be addressed before production continues.
  • After Tooling Changes: Changes to the manufacturing process, tooling or equipment used to produce the parts will require an FAI. The production part approval process contained within will verify that the changes will not affect the quality or conformity of the parts.
  • Supplier Changes: When there’s a change in suppliers for a particular component, FAI may be necessary to ensure that the new supplier’s parts meet the required standards and specifications.
  • Regulatory Requirements: In some cases, regulatory bodies may mandate FAI as part of the certification process for aerospace components, especially for critical parts or those with safety implications.
  • Customer Requirements: Aerospace manufacturers often conduct FAI in response to specific customer requirements or contractual obligations. Customers may specify when and how FAI should be performed as part of the procurement process.

Overall, FAI is conducted at strategic points in production to verify the conformity of parts or assemblies to specified requirements, ensuring quality, safety and regulatory compliance in the aerospace industry.

What is AS9102?

In 2004, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) released a standard for First Article Inspection (FAI) requirements entitled AS9102. The IAQG sponsored a team of engineers and developers to create the AS9102 document. This new revision was meant to consolidate multiple FAI requirement forms as well as improve the production process and organization of these forms to negate non-conformance. Later in 2014, the AS9102 was revised (AS9102B or AS9102 Rev B) to further promote the value of a proper FAI process. A Subsequent revision, AS9102C was introduced in 2000, and further revised in 2004 and 2023. 

There are several advantages for companies adhering to these new SAE aerospace standards. First, AS9102 clearly specifies when a First Article Inspection must be conducted. Second, it describes what components of the production part must be included in the FAI and what inspections/verification must be conducted on those components and their associated processes. Finally, AS9102 specifies how the First Article Inspection must be documented and provides the forms to do so.

The Value of AS9102 First Article Inspection

The AS9102 documentation requirements consolidate a series of forms to help ensure consistency across the board for aerospace standards and other engineering fields. Together, these aid production process verification activity by consolidating all necessary information.

The three AS9102 forms are:

  • Part Number Accountability.
  • Product Accountability.
  • Characteristic Accountability.

Part Number Accountability

The part number accountability form designates specific names, serial numbers and FAI report numbers for parts used in both the design and manufacturing processes. Filling out and tracking these forms helps companies ensure validity and reliability leading up to the first production run. If something goes wrong in the manufacturing process, the company can look back at the documentation requirements to see exactly which part they need to change.

Product Accountability

Next, product accountability includes the citation of raw material specifications, special processes and functional testing. These measures help guarantee the repeatability of the production of these products.

Characteristic Accountability

Finally, characteristic accountability evaluates verification and compatibility. This form lists all the design characteristics of the part, including characteristic requirements and corresponding inspection results. This form helps an engineer validate the new process and demonstrates how it will be used alongside existing methods.

 Requirements of AS9102 in Aerospace

With all the specification requirements listed in the AS9102 revision and a variety of fields covered in each form, it might seem difficult to understand which sections one must complete before submitting it. The team that developed this revision has already thought through this process and they’ve listed three qualifiers to help you understand which is needed.

The first is listed as required, which is represented in forms with the letter “R.” Some of the required fields include part number, part name, organization name, full FAI report, signature and date.

The second is listed as conditionally required, symbolized by the letters “CR.” These fields are mandatory when certain processes are completed or certain tools are used. Some fields that might be considered conditionally required include drawing numbers, additional process changes, design changes and specific tooling.

The last qualifier noted on the AS9102 is listed as optional, symbolized by the letter “O.” This information is helpful for record-keeping, but is not a requisite for completing the form. Examples of optional information include the name of the person who prepared the First Article Inspection, the name of the person who approved the FAI, the date FAI is reported and the name of the customer stakeholder who approved everything.

The DISCUS Advantage

The DISCUS core competency is managing a part’s Technical Data Package at a high level of detail, all while enabling you to save time and resources while focusing on the product realization process. DISCUS Software enables users to view a drawing or model and quickly identify the design requirements, features and characteristics. This identification can then be used to efficiently create downstream artifacts for the manufacturing process and quality assurance.

This includes but is not limited to:

  • First Article Inspection Reports.
  • In-Process Inspection Plans.
  • Manufacturing Process Plans.Free Usable AS9102 Forms
  • Producibility Analysis.

DISCUS electronically organizes and integrates all elements of the TDP, including product images, engineering drawings, specification requirements and other related narrative FAI documentation.

DISCUS helps to quickly analyze and interrogate the new product or production part — whether it’s in the form of a 2D drawing or 3D CAD model. DISCUS enables the user to identify (balloon) all of the detailed part characteristics and organize the requirements into a systematic Bill of Characteristics.

The result is greatly improved productivity in manufacturing and quality engineering resulting in a successful first production run. For example, DISCUS has consistently increased FAI and SPC productivity by more than 50%.

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If you’re interested in DISCUS Software, please contact us about finding the right set up for your business. Additionally, we offer a 30-day free trial to ensure it’s the right fit for your company.